One Nation: Pauline Hanson eyes cuts on alcohol tax, climate spending as she sharpens her election policies

Alcohol taxes, entire government departments and Australia diplomatic involvements are on the chopping block as Pauline Hanson sharpens her election policies.

With just weeks until Australians go to the ballot box, One Nation — which is led by the veteran senator — officially held its Queensland Senate campaign launch in Cairns on Wednesday.

Though some of its views and platforms are viewed as controversial or fringe, it shares the same focus as every other party: the cost of living.

“It breaks my heart to see so many Australians living in poverty — they are actually living in tents, bridges, in cars with families and can’t put a roof over their heads,” Senator Hanson told AAP.

One of its signature plans is to slash up to $90 billion from government spending.

Senator Hanson revealed the party would withdraw Australia from the United Nations, World Health Organisation, World Economic Forum and other global bodies, reduce funding for multicultural programs, rein in National Disability Insurance Scheme funding and abolish the National Indigenous Australians Agency and the Department of Climate Change.

“There is a lot of duplication — it is out of control — and there is wasteful spending,” she said

“Most people that I talk to around Australia don’t even believe all this climate change.”

Data from NASA has found the vast majority of actively publishing climate scientists agree humans are causing global warming and climate change and Australia’s government climate department aims to protect the natural environment and heritage sites.

One Nation also wants to increase scrutiny on the pay and hiring processes of public servants, with Senator Hanson claiming “incompetent” people were being hired based on their sex.

Savings would be invested in tax relief, such as abolishing the excise on alcohol at venues, exempting insurance companies and building materials on GST — which could bring down housing construction costs — and paying down Australia’s debt.

While many of these policies are reminiscent of those implemented by US President Donald Trump, Senator Hanson has run on similar ideas since the 1990s.

If the election ends in a hung parliament, as many polls predict, One Nation could soon hold more sway.

But it’s not just about the balance of power, Senator Hanson said, it’s about fighting for Australians.

“They are struggling, they are hurting and the governments do not understand what the hell is going on,” she said.